ECLIPSE FARM 3G - Detection of antibiotic residues in milk

Antibiotics are used for prevention and treatment of animals having bacterial infections of the udder (mastitis). Milk is examined for antibiotics residues because they pose a hazard to consumers, possibly causing allergic reactions and the development of bacterial resistance. They also have an inhibitory effect on starter cultures of bacteria used to make fermented milk products, which causes financial losses in the dairy industry.

The ECLIPSE Farm kit is a broad-range screening test designed for the qualitative detection of antibiotics in milk. The method has been validated following the ISO 13969:2003(E) and is based on the inhibition of microbial growth. It is supplied in a single tubes format where each tube contains agar medium spread with Geobacillus stearothermophilus. When the tubes are incubated at 65ºC spores germinate and cells grow producing acid and changing the agar pH. Variations of pH will produce changes of the agar colour from purple to yellowish. When milk samples contain inhibitors at higher concentrations than the detection limit, microorganisms will not grow and neither colour changes will be observed.